How to Become a Correctional Officer in Wisconsin

A Correctional Officer is one of the many types of law enforcement jobs that have become popular in today’s times. The job of a correctional officer involves overseeing inmates in correctional facilities and many have the responsibility of handling many aspects of the lives of inmates on a constant basis and because of this many see being a correctional officer as a position that may be as dangerous as being a police officer working on the field.

If you have the desire to join the many Americans in this field then it may be a relief for you to know that becoming a correctional officer in the state of Wisconsin may be easier than you think. Generally a correctional officer does not have to have higher education to be effective and many start out in the field with a high school diploma or GED.

In addition to this though, there is much training and strict rules for one to follow before being considered for a position as a correctional officer. There are also standardized tests that you must complete for this position as well as drug screenings and background checks to go through.

Becoming a correctional officer in Wisconsin has other requirements that one must adhere to before getting the job because of the potential dangers of the position. Being younger than the age of 37 is often required for federal prison employment and all officers must be age 18-21 and up.

When applying to become a correctional officer it is important to realize that the job requires a degree of strong judgment from employees as well as keen senses and physical fitness. With that being said there is a lot to consider before making this decision for your safety’s sake.

Many places that employ people in this field, especially federal detention center positions, may also require that you obtain an undergraduate degree from a respected school in order to land a job. This degree can be at the bachelor’s level and up but a bachelor’s degree is often seen as sufficient for the field.

In addition to this federal detention centers require at least 3 years of experience with supervising, teaching, or counseling.

If you are a person that wants to work in a federal setting you may have your work cut out for you. In regards to this and in order to fulfill the requirements to become a correctional officer in federal detention centers, it is important that you know where to go and what degree program to pursue before applying for a position.

The degree that most people in this position pursue is a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in order to fulfill the education requirements for federal centers. The 4 year bachelor’s degree programs that many universities offer in criminal justice will prepare the students that are a part of them not only for a position as a correctional officer but also for many other jobs in the field of criminal justice such as FBI agents and police officers.

The courses that you may take in these programs can include courses in juvenile justice, the ethics of law enforcement, as well as criminology and courses in social deviance among other things. Though this may seem like a lot of information to process, the benefits of getting a degree from a four year degree program can help you to improve your quality of life for many years to come.

In addition to getting a position in a federal corrections center there are few other places that people who desire to be correctional officers can work. Though state, federal and local prisons are the only places that these people can be employed they usually offer much in terms of job security for their workers.

Once a person is hired for a position they usually go through the American Correctional Associations formal training program to learn all of the tips and techniques that these workers use, the training that an officer may go through is not limited to this though.

Some detention centers may offer their own training through offsite training schools but though there are different methods of training officers the time spent training is usually similar in any case and can last several weeks.